Whether you’re restoring a classic car or just need a change of scenery for your daily driver, painting your vehicle can be an expensive proposition. If you get it done professionally, you’ll pay a pretty penny for the privilege. Tackling it as a DIY project can be just as expensive, especially if you make a mistake, and someone has to come in behind you and fix it. Here are eight tips to keep in mind if you’re planning on painting your own car:

1. Avoid Using a Brush

The delicate lines of a brushstroke might look rustic or attractive on the walls of your house, but that’s the last thing you want on your car. It is entirely possible to paint your own car, but for the love of whatever you deem holy, don’t use a brush. Your ride will end up looking like a toddler painted it — plus, the textured surface the bristles leave behind won’t stand up to normal wear and tear. 

2. Avoid Skimping on Equipment

You can paint your own car with individual spray cans of automotive paint and sandpaper blocks, but it will take you a lot longer, and you’ll have to put more elbow grease into the project.

Investing in equipment might cost you a bit more than cans of spray paint, but you’ll end up with a finished look you can be proud of without spending weeks trying to get everything done. 

3. Prep Your Space

This might be the most important step for painting your own car — prepping your space. The last thing you want is a space that’s too small to do the job. You also don’t want to finish your project in the open where dust can settle onto wet paint, ruining the finish. Create an efficient space with enough room for you to lay down even coats of paint without your elbows or knees messing up your hard work.

4. Collect All Your Supplies

Make sure you have all your supplies ready before you start painting. While you can take a break during the sanding phase or between sanding and painting, you’ll want to keep moving forward once you start pouring paint. Your supplies list might include but isn’t limited to: 

• Sandpaper
• An electric sander
• A paint sprayer
• Paint
• Thinner
• Tarps
• Masking

Having everything on hand will make the project go smoother, even if you’re just starting to learn how to paint. 

5. Strip to Primer

Your first step will be to strip the existing paint down to the primer. You can do this with sandpaper blocks, but the best way to accomplish this is with an electric sander.

You don’t need to take it down to bare metal — unless there are spots where rust has eaten through the paint and you have to repair these areas before you can paint. In those cases, you’ll want to apply a new layer of primer before heading to the next step.

6. Mask Anything You Don’t Want to Paint

Not every surface of your vehicle requires a new coat of paint. Before you break out the paint, make sure you mask off anything you don’t want to repaint. That includes windows, mirrors, door handles, gaskets and anything else that doesn’t need a color refresh. For large areas, tape down some plastic or old newspaper to cover most of the space. 

7. Be Patient Between Coats

It might look dry, but if you don’t give your paint enough time to cure between coats, you’ll end up with a drippy mess that you’ll have to fix with more sanding and painting. Read the instructions on your paint and make sure you’re giving it enough time to dry. 

8. Seal It Up With Clear Coat

Finally, once you’ve got your car looking the way you’ve dreamed, there’s one step left. Cover the new paint with a couple of layers of clear coat and let it cure. This protects your paint job and gives your car a gorgeous glossy finish. 

Be Patient and Enjoy the Finished Product

When it comes to painting your car, patience is the most important tool in your tool belt. Rush through the project and you’ll end up with something you have to do over again — or worse, something you have to pay someone else to fix. Take your time, and before you know it, you’ll have a fantastic new paint job to enjoy.